From a cbc.ca article on how the Web has affected the news and the media.
"Definition: Web 2.0 is a term that is generally applied to the second generation of internet applications that first began to appear about 10 years ago. The dominant trait of Web 2.0 is its interactivity: ordinary people can easily contribute to online discussions, and not remain simply on the receiving end of information."
As I read the article the following paragraph jumped out at me. It puts into words my thoughts on the subject since becoming a journalism major.
"There is much to celebrate about this democratization of the media, but there are also reasons to be concerned about the loss of an independent, professional journalistic filter at a time when everyone can be their own media. Can online communities of 'citizen journalists' be counted on to help us make informed choices as citizens and consumers? What's lost, and what's gained when 'News 1.0' gives way to 'News 2.0?'"
While the involvement of everyday citizens in the media can provide new opinions and generate discussion, many of these people haven't been trained as reporters and news quality could suffer because of it. After several years of journalism classes and experience, I'm still not completely sure how I feel about the traditional media audience becoming involved in what we read, see or hear. How long will it be before citizen journalism negatively affects news quality? Has it already been too long?
In reality, there has been a separate independent media all along. Individuals have always spread their own ideas as news, whether through spoken or written word. The advent and evolution of the internet has only made information easier to transmit. In the end, we still have tradition news media with their traditional methods and news values, and then the general public as well.
ReplyDeleteAli,
ReplyDeleteThe webtools course I'm taking has opened my eyes (a little) to the discussion you and Tyler are having here. It is good for me to hear the journalist side of things and not just the "how can I use this in my classroom" side.
Thanks